A new anti-terror law in China gives the government the explicit power to demand technology firms decrypt electronic messages stored on their servers, sparking concern – and confusion – from foreign companies.

English Premier League football embarked on its traditional pinball-style frenzy through the Christmas period but did so without José Mourinho, displaced as Chelsea manager by Guus Hiddink following the champions’ dismal title defence.

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A former ICAP broker charged with conspiracy to manipulate benchmark yen interest rates told a London criminal court earlier this week that 1,000 rate predictions he had sent out over four years had only ever reflected his honest opinion.

A High Court judge on Thursday delayed the trial in a drawn-out battle between Royal Bank of Scotland and shareholders, criticising the lender and its legal advisers for being "unfocused" and swamped by 25 million documents.

David Cameron has begun the delicate process of persuading sceptical Labour MPs to back airstrikes in Syria, saying the UK was already facing the threat of mass casualties from Isis and arguing that Britain could not outsource its security to allies.